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It’s no secret that Chrysler will be borrowing heavily from Fiat to fill out its Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep brands in the coming years. And it’s been widely reported that Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is especially concerned with the small car offerings for U.S. consumption. As a result, one of the first vehicles to get adapted for the U.S. marketplace will be the current-gen Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which will likely spawn several versions as soon as next year, starting with a Dodge compact car.

As you might imagine, the Giulietta is sporty and will need significant modifications to appeal to American tastes and pass U.S. safety regulations. Oddly, the possibility exists that after threatening for many, many years, the first Alfa Romeo to be sold in the U.S. for quite some time (outside of a handful of 8Cs that made it here) will likely not be badged an Alfa Romeo.

Timing issues aside, we thought it would be a good idea to get more familiar with this platform if it’s going to play such a pivotal role in the continued relationship (and success) of Chrysler and Fiat. Naturally (well, actually, we were just lucky) we decided to drive a pair of Giuliettas — one Multi-Air gas turbo and one diesel turbo — in rural Ireland. This would allow us to grade the vehicle itself, as well as get familiar with the various Italian power strategy differences. Spoiler alert: If this is what Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep have to look forward to, we’re all likely to benefit.

The Players

We picked up our two five-door, right-hand-drive hatchback Giuliettas at the Dublin Airport and found the pair of Italian thoroughbreds (both in Veloce trim packages) quite similar (as you might expect) in some ways and a little different in other. The most significant difference between our Competizione Red and Etna Black cars is in the powertrain — the red one sports a 1.4-liter I-4 supercharged MultiAir engine, while our black Alfa sports a 2.0-liter variable-geometry turbocharged diesel. The two are fairly even on power but do offer a significant contrast in performance feel, especially at higher speeds and in different driving conditions.

Factory specs for the 1.4-liter MultiAir have power ratings of 168 hp at 5500 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm, with a top speed of 135 mph. We didn’t get a chance to track test the turbocharged gas engine, but the vehicle is quite light at just over 2800 pounds. Alfa claims a 0-62 time of roughly 7.8 seconds.

Factory numbers for the heavier 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel are 168 hp at 4000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1750 rpm. Top speed is also computer limited to 135 mph. As you might expect, there is more heft to the diesel engine, and as a consequence, vehicle weight is about 70 pounds heavier. Also not surprising, 0-60 mph times are a little larger as well, with Alfa’s estimate coming in 8 seconds flat to 62 mph.

Both engines are impressive, and many people will be surprised by the feel and quality of these vehicles. On the cusp of entering the U.S. marketplace again, Alfa Romeo will have quite a few consumers reminiscing about how bad Alfa’s perceived quality was in the early 1990s. But the material choices, fabrics, and texture in the Giulietta are all befitting of a premium interior. The IP and center console are quite logically laid out and the information center in the gauge cluster is full of data and instant readout information. Seating in both front and back is quite firm, with plenty of side bolstering to keep the driver locked in place. For U.S. buyers, Alfa would also do well to offer a slightly more plush and padded seats on certain trim packages.

Setting engine performance aside, probably the most significant piece of cool technology Alfa Romeo has is the DNA system that, with a simple switch between three positions, completely changes the car’s personality. The three settings are “D” for Dynamic; “N” for Normal; and “A” for All-weather driving. Adapted from much more expensive Italian supercars, the DNA system changes just about every aspect of the vehicle. Each setting has a different maximum horsepower and torque rating.

In Dynamic mode, the steering gets tighter and throttle response is sharper. In addition, braking is more sensitive, the turbo spools quicker, and the electronic differential is more attentive. In Normal mode, all the same parameters become smoother and more gradual, biasing all computer controls to comfort and MPG efficiency. In All-weather mode, the system assumes there is possible ice or other traction issues, so braking, throttle response, gear selection, and the traction control sensors work together to limit as much slip or slide as possible. This single feature allows the driver to enjoy almost every aspect of the car to its fullest. It’s almost like having three cars in one. It wouldn’t surprise us to see this same DNA system in every Alfa Romeo (or Chrysler-made vehicle) sold in the U.S. Certainly, the next Jeep Compass will benefit from this type of powertrain intelligence.

The Route

Our proposed route allowed us to make a complete loop over the southern half of Ireland, starting in Dublin, cutting straight across the country above Galway. Then we’d swing south along the coast until we made our way to Cork then back to Dublin. This particular route has many exciting and wonderful places to stop, so if you’re interested, give yourself at least a week (preferably two) to make the loop. We would also advise you bring, buy, or have a vehicle that offers a nav system. With all the ancient and hidden roads through the old towns and meandering countryside, you’ll want to have some way of getting back on track after you explore a new or uncharted route.

The distance from Dublin to Galway is less than 130 miles, but expect it to take at least three hours (once you make it out of the city) because not all of the roads are high-speed. Our TDI Giulietta cruised quite well around 1800 rpm in sixth gear and seemed to be more responsive at slower speeds around town than the gas Alfa. We found ourselves tempted to stay in Dynamic mode for the added throttle responsiveness, even though we knew we’d likely get the best fuel economy in Normal.

Galway is a beautiful tourist town if you like to shop and walk along the ocean. There are plenty of comfortable places to stay, but don’t be afraid to search outlying areas for more exciting and rustic accommodations. We stayed at an old castle about hour outside Galway, near the Connemara National Park (worth a visit because it looks like the surface of another planet — www.connemaranationalpark.ie), called the Ballynahinch Castle. It was spectacular, with plenty of beautiful mountain trails all around the hillsides that lead to several streams and lakes to find.

Heading south along the coast will eventually get you to the dramatic (and loaded with tourist buses) Cliffs of Moher, then to the town of Limerick, which is worth a lunch stop at one of the many family delis. But don’t be too long, as you’ll want to get to the city of Killarney before nightfall for check-in at Kathleen’s Country House (www.kathleens.net).

When in Killarney, you’ll want to spend at least two full days exploring the picturesque Dingle Peninsula and the rugged Ring of Kerry, not to mention the Killarney National Park (www.killarneynationalpark.ie). The roads through most of these areas are wonderfully well-kept but get congested throughout the day. We advise leaving early to enjoy some spirited driving, especially if you have a car as nimble and lively as a turbodiesel Alfa. The amount of pull the vehicle has at lower rpms is wonderful and invigorating. Drop down a gear and it’s even better. It’s also worth noting that there are very few posted speed limits around Ireland, but keep in mind urban areas typically have 45/50 kph limits; country roads have max speeds of 75/80 kph; 100 kph on national roads; and 120 kph speeds on the big motorways.

After Killarney, we continued south, wrapping around the coast into Cork and Waterford. The majestic green hills will have you pulling off at the various turnouts to gawk in awe. Just about every peninsula along the coast here has a ring route, sometimes with quite exciting roads that have been there for centuries.

We eventually ended up at the Wicklow Mountains National Park (www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie), exploring several mountain lakes and stream trails, finishing our day in Enniskerry, about a half-hour north of the park — and less than 10 miles from downtown Dublin.

Fuel Economy

In all, our trip had us pushing the Giuliettas just under 700 miles, which meant we had to fill our black turbodiesel Giulietta up twice (it was loaned to us with a full tank); with three fillups for our red turbo gas. Both have fuel tanks just over 15 gallons. For diesel, we paid a little over $7 per gallon, while gasoline was about $9 per gallon. We got almost 500 miles on our best tank of diesel and about 350 miles per tank with gas. We’re guessing some of this impressive capability has to do with Alfa’s (practically) invisible start/stop technology that seamlessly shuts off the engine when it senses it’s not needed. What makes this so cool is that it does all this with a manual transmission, meaning it senses, anticipates, and predicts, depending on what you’re doing with the clutch pedal. And it works with either the gas or diesel engine. In fact, it’s so seamless, we don’t see why it shouldn’t be on every Alfa vehicle going forward.

Our best stretch of highway driving gave us a 50 mpg calculation with our black turbodiesel and 39 mpg (over the same stretch) for the gas car. More realistic combined fuel economy for our two test units (two full tanks for diesel and three for gas) came out to 32.6 mpg for our red MultiAir I-4 and 44.8 mpg for the JTDm-2 diesel. For small cars weighing just under 3000 pounds that are a blast to drive, these aren’t bad numbers at all. We might even say they could be the instant class leaders in style and efficiency (for non-hybrids) if they come over right now. But it’s worth noting that we were fairly aggressive with most of our driving, so those numbers may actually get better with you behind the wheel.

Takeaways

Comparing the two Giuliettas was like having two flavors of ice cream you really like, and getting to enjoy both. If Alfa Romeos are supposed to meld sexy styling and exciting driving, then this car fits the bill. But will people give this new breed of Italian sport-luxury a chance with such a spotty history? Our guess is that will all depend on the price. Price it wrong and it won’t make any difference how nice it drives. This isn’t the best time for a premium priced compact or subcompact car.

Fiat clearly has huge faith in this particular platform (named the CUSW), since it will be using a version of it for the new Dodge subcompact and then (quite ambitiously) for at least one new Jeep vehicle. In a sporty car, the chassis is a standout feature, keeping all passengers quite composed even in the most enthusiastic exercises. Our only complaint is with the spring and shock tuning for a vehicle of this size; it’s quite good at controlling lateral input but struggles with rebound and compression, allowing you to hammer the bumpstops in situations where you wouldn’t expect it. In the name of full disclosure, we spent much of our trip with at least three adults and luggage inside.

Regardless, it doesn’t take much imagination to see there is plenty of potential in this chassis, especially with so many mediocre-performing vehicles in this segment. Although nothing has been announced yet, we’d expect the Giulietta to start in the low $30,000 range and pick up speed quickly with many Alfa options to choose from. No doubt the Dodge and Jeep offerings will be less expensive. In either case, and regardless of what you drive, we’d highly recommend driving something fun to tour the Irish countryside. You won’t regret it.